Some 4.2 million people in the European Union are currently long term unemployed, according to the latest data released by Eurostat.
Southern EU countries continue to record higher rates of unemployment compared to countries in the north.
A person is considered in long-term unemployment when out of work for more than 12 months. In the EU one third of unemployed fall into this category. The long term unemployment rate across the EU currently stands at 1.9% of the population.
